I know for a fact I have written something very much like this before, but I think it was lost in the great "Oh fuck, 400,000 words of crap got corrupted and I have no backup" fiasco of 2020. I decided to spit this out in its place. I have no idea which category this best fits, so it's going in humor. It has sort of a non-consent theme. Kind of. But not really. Just kind of.
**
"How long have you been having these dreams, Mr. Weller?"
"I don't think you understand, Miss Grimes. It's not just regular dreams, ya know? I mean, yes, it happens frequently when I sleep, but it's also daydreams. Or 'visions' if that's what you want to call them. It's been almost three months since they started."
Phillip Weller was 26 years old, just out of college and not in a relationship. Angela suspected his "visions" were simply the circumstances of a hormonally frustrated, young man. She wondered if he might be one of those incels she'd heard about, but Phillip seemed socially competent. A normal, somewhat attractive guy. "You say all of these dreams are violent in nature?"
Phillip hung his head in shame. He hated admitting his problem. "I don't understand why. I don't harbor any ill-will towards anyone, much less my friends. But yes. I force myself on them."
"And these are your friends you are seeing in these dreams?"
Phillip sighed. He doubted the therapist believed him, but why would he lie? "It's everyone, Miss Grimes. Absolutely everyone, so yes, my friends are included."
"You may call me Angela. What do you mean exactly? Everyone? How do these visions occur to you?"
"The visions are automatic. Like, they happen the instant I see a woman. Any woman, so like I said, including my friends. And the night dreams... they're more vivid than ever. I used to have regular sex dreams, but not like these."
"Describe one of these dreams to me."
Phillip dropped his head into his hands. 'Where to start?' he sniffled. "Yesterday, I was napping on the couch and I dreamt Candice - that's the neighbor down the hall on my floor -- I dreamt she came over to borrow some flour. Before she even got a word out, I was ripping off her clothes, tossing her around the apartment. Nothing could stop me from... from... well, you know... fucking her... in the ass." The last three words were barely audible, but Angela caught them. Phillip held back tears. He was shaking, visibly upset.
"What happened next?" Angela asked softly.
"What do you mean, 'What happened next?'" cried Phillip. "She came multiple times while I fucked her raw. At least, until the doorbell woke me up."
"I'm sorry? The doorbell?"
"It was Candice. When she actually showed up."
"I don't follow."
"I'm talking about my neighbor, Candice. She woke me up to borrow some flour."
"In your dream..."
"No, I mean for real. She woke me up while I was sleeping, while I had been having that dream about her."
"Does Candice often borrow flour?"
"No. This was a first."
"Wait, what?" Angela questioned. "You're saying this was a premonition?"
It finally registered with Phillip as to why Angela was confused. Things like this occurred so often, he'd practically normalized it. "Oh yeah, that happens sometimes. I dream something that will happen before it does. But I don't ever fucking force myself on anybody!! I'd never think of doing such a thing! This is how it went down: The doorbell woke me up, so I answered. It was Candice asking for the flour. I happily got her some. I certainly didn't force myself on her, or fuck her in the ass. She left and I haven't seen her since, not even in passing."
"So... in your dream you took advantage of her, but in real life you didn't?"
"Exactly. I'm not a fucking psychopath. That's why I want these visions to end!"
"We have a lot to unpack here, Phillip. First, you are telling me you can literally see into the future. Even change it, I guess. Or maybe it's more complicated than that, I don't know. I would like you to start recording episodes like this when they occur. Write them down, with details of when it happened, how vivid the dream was and who the subject was. Things like that. I'd like to see if there are any patterns. Especially if you have some kind of foresight into the future."
Phillip barely appeared to be listening, growing more anxious just thinking about the whole issue. He cried out, "I don't even like knowing what people look like naked; I sure as hell don't want to see into the future!"
Angela laughed. "Oh, come on, Phillip. You can't possibly know what people look like under their clothes. What's in your fantasies may not represent the real thing or-"
"Oh, it does. To the tee. It's how I know you have a butterfly tattoo on your left breast. I can't help it. I don't WANT to know that. I don't want any of this."
Angela was stunned. Other than her ex (and the tattoo artist who put it there), no one knew about that butterfly tattoo. And if what Phillip said was true, then he knew even more, like how her left breast was almost a cup size bigger than its sister. Angela nicknamed her breasts "The Fraternal Twins" a long time ago. She squirmed in her chair a bit as she processed this new information. "Okay, Phillip. JUST to be clear. You're suggesting you know what I look like naked. It's true, I have a tattoo, but -"
Phillip interrupted, answering flatly. "Miss Hastings, I had a vision of you when I first arrived. I can tell you haven't shaved in a couple days. I know every detail of your body."